OSUN State Governor Ademola Adeleke has vowed that his administration would proceed with the local government election slated for Saturday, February 22, in the state, despite Federal Government’s warning that the exercise be suspended.
The ICIR reported the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi demanded that state government should not go ahead with the poll.
Hours after the Federal Government issued its directive, Adeleke said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rashee, don Friday, February 21, that nothing would stop the process.
The governor said the election, to be conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), would be held ‘unfailingly’.
The statement quoted the governor as saying this while receiving a delegation of civil society coalition members who were in the state to monitor the poll.
According to Adeleke, Osun voters are prepared to exercise their voting right, even as he expressed satisfaction with the level of preparation by the electoral body.
“I welcome you all to Osun State. Our people are prepared for elections tomorrow. They yearn to have their choices as chairmen and councillors.
“OSIEC has also done a marvellous preparatory job, according to reports at my disposal. Several political parties are participating and I believe there will be a level playing ground for all to test their popularity with the masses”, the governor said.
Reacting to controversies surrounding the exercise, Adeleke declared that “democracy is governed by the rule of law and that nobody can assume the authority of the courts.”
He advised all parties including local and national stakeholders to abide by democratic norms.
“As for me and my people, we stand by the rule of law, not illegal self-help. The election is going to hold and the outcome will fast-track development at the local level,” he added.
The Federal Government had warned that conducting a new local government poll would be invalid and unconstitutional.
This, according to the attorney-general of the federation (Fagbemi), is because the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, recently ruled that the tenure of the ‘sacked’ council chairpersons of the local government area councils was still running.
The AGF stated that his attention was drawn to Adeleke’s public outcry regarding the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Akure.
He said the judgment, delivered on February 10, 2025, in Appeal No. CA/AK/272/2022, nullified the Federal High Court’s judgment in Osogbo, given on November 25, 2022, in favour of the state government.
Fagbemi explained that the controversy surrounding the local government elections in Osun State began during the tenure of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. He said elections were held in all local governments in the state, and the winners were sworn in.
He recalled that just before Adeleke’s swearing-in, the Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the poll that brought the chairpersons into office.
He added that in response, Adeleke issued an executive order to remove the elected officials and replaced them with caretaker appointees shortly after assuming office.
The AGF noted that by this decision, the judgment of the Court of Appeal has, by implication, effectively restored the elected local government officials removed by the Federal High Court to their offices.
Fagbemi said the crisis in Osun State erupted when some disgruntled elements resisted the attempt by the officials to resume their positions on Monday, February, 17.
According to the AGF, Adeleke should have maintained law and order in the state rather than allowing the situation to escalate into a crisis.
The ICIR reported that seven people reportedly died as APC supporters and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed in the state on Monday.
According to reports, the crisis led to the death of a former chairman of the Irewole Local Government Area, Aderemi Abbas, and others.
Adeleke had raised concerns on Sunday, February 16, about a plan by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and certain security agency heads to enforce the Appeal Court’s ruling and urged the public to hold them accountable for any violence that arose after the action.
A reporter with the ICIR
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